A crucial Cabinet meeting which was very likely to determine the future of the Ceylon Electricity Board's (CEB) and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation's (CEYPETCO) restructuring process was put off owing to the possible drastic trade union action which would have crippled the entire country.

Local media reports claimed that the JVP had during a politburo meeting over the weekend threatened to resort to drastic action if the Government went ahead with the restructuring.

Following President Kumaratunga's decision to call off the Cabinet meeting, the CEB and CEYPETCO trade unions are reported to have decided to call off the planned strike.

@ AFP; A Sri Lankan cyclist passes by a queue of auto-rickshaws lined up outside a petrol station in Colombo after energy sector trade unions threatened a strike over moves to sell stakes in state-owned oil and electricity companies(AFP/Sena Vidanagama)

Colombo and its suburb streets depicted the perfect picture of ‘Chaos' after panicked Sri Lankans rushed to fuel stations to top up their tanks following a warning issued by Trade Unions of a possible strike tomorrow.

The rush to fill tanks before a possible strike caused traffic jams in the capital while energy union workers staged a protest outside the offices of Ceylon Electricity Board denouncing a proposal to "restructure" the state-owned electricity company.